1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to on-line gaming, and more specifically, to player replacement in an on-line game.
2. Background
In typical on-line game applications players may interact and communicate with partners and other on-line game players and virtual worlds during the online experience. The effectiveness of the experience can be important to the player, who may have many choices of online games and other activities.
A person playing an online game has an identity in the game. This identity can be referred to as an “online identity”, “character”, or “persona.” As players join or leave a game there can be a disruption in the game play experienced by the other players in the game. For example, if one player decides to leave the game, that player's online identity will no longer participate in the game and the other players will not be able to interact with the online identity. This loss of interaction can have a negative impact on the enjoyment of the gaming experience of other players. Likewise, if a player knows that they only have a limited amount of time available to play an online game, that player may be hesitant to join the game knowing that they will leave a short time later and disrupt the other players.
Thus, there is a need for improving online gaming as players enter and leave the online game.